Lodgepole Water Tower Project Navigates Rough Waters

LODGEPOLE--What started some time ago with an alert concerning high arsenic levels in drinking water moved on to a new 150,000-gallon Water Tower, an attempt to link the existing and new water towers into one system, and then utilizing both the new 150,000-gallon tank and the existing 30,000-gallon tank. USDA Grants provided at the beginning of the decade started a project that ran into problems and has caused division among some of the residents of Lodgepole. The Sun-Telegraph has spoken with some of the people involved in the matter, and with some residents who have expressed concerns about managing the issue and other matters in Lodgepole.

Gwen Devie, a former Lodgepole Village Board of Trustee member, resigned from her position to draw attention to village finances and the apparent lack of concern about the issue. She ran unsuccessfully for a Trustee position in the recent election. Devie told the Sun-Telegraph that the problem with the water tower started some time back when it was reported there were elevated arsenic levels in the water. The panhandle area has a history of fluctuating arsenic levels in its water, and in October of 2002, the Conservation and Survey Division of the University of Nebraska started a comprehensive testing effort for arsenic levels in public water supplies, and Lodgepole was one of the villages tested. The initial testing showed that Lodgepole was just below the threshold of 10 micrograms per liter (0.010 mg/liter), the new lowered standard adopted in 2006. They noted that there is variance to many of these numbers due to the nature of the testing. In 2017, it was reported that Lodgepole had passed the state requirements on arsenic levels for three consecutive quarters. This enabled the Village of Lodgepole to explore different options for water storage and delivery without strict timeline requirements mandated by the state.

Devie said the initial plan was to replace the old 30,000 with a new 150,000-gallon tank. However, under the advice of the contracted engineers, the plan was modified to connect the two water towers, each drawing from separate wells on the opposite sides of town, to have a 180,000-gallon capacity system that would serve the community and facilitate any future long-term growth. However, after the system was set up, it was discovered that the 150,000-gallon tank would not fill nearly to its capacity, creating problems with the system. It was determined that the size of the pipes connecting the two towers was not the right size to accommodate water flow, preventing the larger tower from filling to its capacity.

Mueller Engineering and Associates inspected the system and offered three potential options to fix the issue. The first was to decommission the old water tower and use the new 150,000 tower. Decommissioning the old tower would allow the new tower to fill properly. The second option was to do a "Line Verification", which involves changing the piping between the towers, as there is currently a two-inch diameter difference between the pipes. This would involve digging up and replacing existing pipework and would be very costly. The third option was installing an "Altitude Valve" on the 30,000-gallon tank to solve the issue. However, the cost of this installation would be between $100,000-$120,000, with only $80,000 left in grant money to cover the expense. The 150,000-gallon tank was purchased for $588,000, and the entire project cost of the water project was slightly over two million dollars. The costs were covered by grants mostly provided by USDA Rural Development and a Community Development Block Grant from the State of Nebraska.

The Sun-Telegraph also had input on the issue from Lodgepole citizens who wished to remain anonymous. Some of the concerns raised were about keeping the old Water Tower up, as it is a historical landmark according to many residents. Some were upset that they felt the engineers who recommended the joined system that did not work were not held accountable, and some expressed concern about water that was leaking from the system, contributing to erosion on the edges of the streets of Lodgepole. Another question heard by concerned citizens is what would the cost of upkeep be on the decommissioned water tower, and how would it be paid for?

These residents expressed a feeling of frustration with the Trustees, saying that a lack of proactivity has caused many problems not only with the Water Tower project but also in other areas, mostly financial. It was suggested that a plan was discussed between board members to auction off artifacts from the water tower and items from Lodgepole school system. According to a citizen, word got out about these plans and they were stopped. Contradictory information has been going through the community concerning insurance costs of maintaining the old tower, and the apparent loss of road allocation money and costs incurred due to new electric meters.

The Sun-Telegraph spoke with Steve Bell, Village of Lodgepole Utilities and Maintenance Supervisor to gain more information about the water tower issue. He said that he had only been in the position for a few months, but he understood that the project always had the old tower being decommissioned, capped, and taken down. He stated the problem with keeping the old tower is it must be insured and maintained, which incurs additional expenses for the village. From his understanding, not deconstructing and capping the tower would result in the USDA trying to recover $67,000 in grant money allocated for that purpose. An earlier report in the Sun-Telegraph noting that some residents claimed they had experienced water pressure loss prompted a visit from the State of Nebraska, which sent out agents to test the water pressure. No issues were discovered, and the Village of Lodgepole was up to all state standards regarding minimum water pressure amounts.

The Sun-Telegraph reached out to R.J. Savely, Chair of the Board of Trustees, to clarify some of the issues regarding the Water Tank Project. He said that from his recollection, the plan was to use both water tanks, although the new 150,000-gallon tank alone met the requirements for capacity. He affirmed that the engineers said the problems in the system were caused by a smaller diameter water pipe in the system. As for the USDA Grant money being pulled back, Savely stated that the USDA has extended the grant money while the board solicits quotes to cap and drain the old water tank. Finally, concerning additional insurance costs for the old water tank, Savely said that maintenance costs for the old water tank have already been stopped. He said when the old tank is capped and drained, it will be covered under the Village's general liability insurance and not separately insured. He said the board voted to cap and drain the old tank and leave it standing. The Sun-Telegraph will provide updates on this issue as new information becomes available.